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I'll reiterate that the strength of a bridge style hammock is for side, side/stomach, or stomach sleepers. You can minimize that shoulder squeeze but it's gonna take certain characteristics (that grizz pointed out). 'Elbow' issue is a good one to point out and is also something to watch out for on your side. There is the undermost arm that, at first, seems to not find a comfy spot.

Greek alphabet soup

Originally Posted by skskinner

... I know this is going to sound confusing but I think you have already figured this out. Here goes:
My thinking is that to leave the parabolic curve longer and use longer spreaders to get the same shoulder squeeze relief at the point of your shoulders would be more effective in providing space in the hammock while occupied,

true, but the way I lay the change in space is above my head, and serves mostly as a place I can store things (like an extra quilt). The difference in space isn't so large, and since I'm not personnally up there I don't notice the difference.

and the compression could be easily adjusted to the same force by lengthening the triangle from the spreader to the tree.

you got it. Until recently my suspension had the apex of the triangle way up at the tree, minimizing compression. I came to see that I really wanted a ridgeline to make set up among different sites easy, which required me to settle in on a length for the suspension sides.

...
Ha, this is fun!
Steve (Mule)

Watch out folks, someone else has discovered the joys of using trig to compute compression forces. Greek symbol potporri here we come again!

I laid out for an hour or so, at 36*. With my Thermarest Camprest in the pad pocket. With the pad in and a pillow under my head, the problem is not as noticeable. It really is more of an "elbow" problem than it is a "shoulder" problem, and it is really easily overcome by having my hands resting over my chest/stomach rather than by my side. As in this picture from JRB website. http://216.83.168.206/index_files/BM...r%20Pocket.jpg Though I wonder if that will lead to some cold spots at the elbows. I was extremely warm and very comfortable, even though I was on a pad. Then sometimes my elbows are actually out a bit over the hammock edge. Of course, none of this was a problem if I turned to my side a little or completely. Which was very easy to do. This hammock makes staying on the pad a non-issue.

But I'm starting to get the feeling this hammock design is not quite wide enough for folks who are broad shouldered or other than pretty slender, even if they are well below the upper weight limitations.

sounds like things are coming around for you, which is best. To get more spread you need wider bars, and this turns out to have ramifications...basically you need a wider tarp and a longer suspension; the shortest distance between a pair of trees you can hang from increases. My guess is that JRB worked through the tradeoffs, and settled on a design that perturbed the rest of the system the least. Which is likely a good call on their part from a business point of view.

Watch out folks, someone else has discovered the joys of using trig to compute compression forces. Greek symbol potporri here we come again!

Grizz

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Actually got to try one of these bridge things today, thank you schrochem. I think I kind of like it. Might just have to make one over the next couple of weeks. Now that I've seen and touched it I realize that it can be copied without a sliderule.

A little off the subject, but, does anyone know why the ENOs have those heavy i inch webbing on the bottom of their stuffsacks on both the hammock and the bug net. Is there any reason why I shouldn't cut them off?

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.
Buddha.

A little off the subject, but, does anyone know why the ENOs have those heavy i inch webbing on the bottom of their stuffsacks on both the hammock and the bug net. Is there any reason why I shouldn't cut them off?

They are just there for compression, I believe. Absolutely no reason you couldn't chop em.